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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27365317">Whumptober 2020 No. 13</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapless_Tree/pseuds/Sapless_Tree'>Sapless_Tree</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MacGyver Whumptober [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>MacGyver (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016) Whump, Chemical Pneumonia, Coda, Episode: s01e07 Can Opener, Gen, Hurt Angus Macgyver (Macgyver 2016), Pneumonia, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, no. 13 - Freeform, sfw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:34:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,265</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27365317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapless_Tree/pseuds/Sapless_Tree</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Whumptober no. 13 "Breathe In, Breathe Out"</p><p>Prompt: chemical pneumonia</p><p>Mac shook his head. “I’ll just sleep it off,” he said, devolving into another coughing fit. It was one horrid, drawn-out cough, and then a shaky gasp before another long cough. It was slow and agonizing to watch as Mac shook with the effort it took to gasp between each painful explosion in his chest. He had his arms wrapped around his torso, nearly gagging with every cough.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Dalton &amp; Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016) &amp; Riley Davis, Riley Davis &amp; Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MacGyver Whumptober [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Whumptober 2020 No. 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so like, I see a lotta codas for this episode that pick it up right when Jack shows up at El Noche's, but I haven't seen many that pick up after the actual ending of the episode, so that's what I'm doin. Uh, this one strays a bit into h/c but oh well. Also, it's written with the intention of team-as-family, but you're welcome to interpret however you'd like :)<br/>okay yeah that's all, enjoy (or dont lmao, you do you)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mac would be lying if he’d said he completely remembered what had happened after El Noche had strapped that mask on him and made him breathe pure nitrogen. </p><p>He remembered how much it hurt, how hard it was to breathe. </p><p>But he’d also remembered Jack getting there just in time. Everything else about the experience was a bit hazy; the helicopter ride, another mask being put on his face, and Jack’s reassuring words.</p><p>Mac was relatively okay after that, all things considered. He’d visited El Noche, earning himself a heavy threat, and sent some inhalers to the old man that had been the closest thing to kind he’d experienced the whole time he was in that prison.</p><p>Mac was certain leaving the prison was one of the best things he had ever felt. And, standing next to Riley as he was, Mac wasn’t sure what could have possibly been going through her mind-- what memories the mission had dragged up or how she was faring.</p><p>“If you need to know,” he said, “I couldn’t have done it without you.” The silence hung between them for a moment before Mac spoke again. “So thank you.”</p><p>Riley finally looked at him, face tight as she hid whatever emotions she was feeling from her face. She nodded, the smile on her lips never quite reached her eyes. There were so many things in her eyes-- thoughts she couldn’t share and emotions she wasn’t ready to talk about.</p><p>“You ready to get out of here?” He asked. Riley’s expression shifted, shoulders losing some of their tension and a little of the tightness leaving her face.</p><p>“You have no idea,” she said, relief evident in her voice. And even though Mac had been holed up in that prison for six full days, stuffed in the trunk of a car for several hours, and strapped in a chair in El Noche’s compound for who knows how long after that, he knew it was nothing compared to the things Riley went through in her two years of prison.</p><p>The two made their way back to the car silently. Their experiences may have been different, but both of them knew they wanted to be anywhere but there as soon as possible.</p><p>Jack took the three of them back to Phoenix; Thornton had a few debriefing questions for the trio to go over and Jack insisted Mac get checked over one more time by the medical team. He’d outright refused, but after some convincing (Jack wasn’t above begging when it came to his partner’s health) Mac was once again cleared to leave with the advice to take it easy for a bit-- just in case.</p><p>With the team granted the next few days off from work, Mac didn’t think he’d have any issues with the whole ‘taking it easy’ thing.</p><p>“Lemme drive you home,” Jack said again as the three made their way to the parking lot, “maybe it’s better if you don’t drive for a while.”</p><p>“Jack you heard what the doctor said-- I’m fine. They hardly even needed to look me over when you dragged me back there. Some mild respiratory irritation is expected, but other than that everything is okay.”</p><p>“Yeah Jack,” Riley agreed, “normally I’d be with you, but doc said he’s good to go.”</p><p>“Besides,” Mac continued, “I’m not having any issues breathing, and I don’t really want to leave my car here <em>another</em> night.” </p><p>Jack grumbled something under his breath. “You know I hate it when you kids gang up on me like that. Ri, I drove you this morning, let me at least take you home.”</p><p>“What, so you can direct all your pent-up mother-henning on me? No way.” Riley interrupted whatever arguments Jack was about to defend himself with. “Mac, you don’t mind driving me do you?”</p><p>“Not at all.”</p><p>“Well that just ain’t fair,” Jack said, ”you two are gonna go live it up somewhere and leave ol’ Jack all by himself?” Mac and Riley both laughed.</p><p>“We’re not going to ‘live it up’ anywhere, Jack. I’m just giving her a ride home,” Mac said. “Promise.”</p><p>“Riley,” Jack said, expectantly.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. I promise, too. No living it up, no partying. Just going home and taking it easy.”</p><p>“You two are so stubborn,” Jack muttered. He turned to Riley. “He so much as coughs on the way home, you’ll let me know?”</p><p>“Sure, Jack,” she laughed.</p><p>“I mean it,” Jack said. There wasn’t really any heat to his voice, but the ever-present concern for his kids was evident.</p><p>“We know,” Mac said. “C’mon, Riles.”</p><p>Another goodbye and Mac and Riley went to Mac’s car while Jack went to his own. Once out of Jack’s sight, Riley’s face had donned the troubled looked it had had outside the prison. The look only deepened the longer the two went without talking.</p><p>Mac cleared his throat. “Is something wrong Riley?” He asked as he started up the car. Riley seemed to almost have been caught off guard by the question.</p><p>“No, nothing’s wrong,” she said. Mac threw her a quick glance as he pulled out of the parking lot, not buying into her claim. “It’s just…” she sighed, looking out through the window. “This one hit a little close to home, is all. You know?”</p><p>Mac took his eyes off the road for only a moment to get a look at her. She didn’t meet his gaze before he turned back to focus on the road. “Ri, I can only imagine what you must be feeling right now,” he said, a long pause hanging in the air after. “Sometimes ops get personal, and this one-- it had to be tough for you.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Riley breathed, blinking away the wet sheen from her eyes quickly. Mac spared her the sympathetic look he knew Jack would’ve sent her way.</p><p>“But you should know, you can always talk about it if you need to,” he said. “And I don’t just mean me. I’m sure Jack would be more than happy to helicopter-parent you for a little while, too.”</p><p>Mac smiled when the joke made Riley laugh. He took another glance, seeing that she was less tensed, looking out the window with a more relaxed gaze than an avoidant one.</p><p>“I know,” she said finally. “You’re a good friend, Mac.” Whatever Mac was going to say after that was lost in a harsh, sudden cough. “You all right?”</p><p>Mac nodded. “I’m fine,” he said, clearing his throat again.</p><p>“You sure?” Riley asked as they pulled into her apartment complex’s lot. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure. You gonna be okay?” He asked, shifting the focus off of himself.</p><p>Riley looked up at the building as Mac parked. “Actually, you want to come in for some warm beers? I don’t think you’ve seen the new palace yet-- Bozer helped me unpack everything while you were…”</p><p>“Away on think tank business,” Mac offered up, reading Riley’s discomfort of thinking any more about Mac in prison. It was the same cover they had given to Bozer; it had given them as many days, weeks, or even months if need be for Mac to be gone without any questions from Bozer. “I’m down. We just can’t tell Jack-- he’ll have a fit.” </p><p>Riley chuckled again, and the two got out of the car and their way up to her apartment. The stairs left Mac a little more winded than he’d be willing to admit, but if Riley had noticed, she’d graciously said nothing.</p><p>“It’s not much,” Riley said as she unlocked and opened the door. “No fire pit. And the couch definitely isn't as comfy as Jack’s overstuffed leather one. But it’s nice to finally have a place to call my own.”</p><p>The place was small, but not unbearably so-- pretty much the perfect size for one person. The furniture was modest as was the decor, but it seemed Riley had taken Jack up on his offer about the neon sign. Her kitchen had all the necessary appliances and the bookshelf in the living room seemed decently stocked.</p><p>“It looks great, Riles,” he reassured. The itch in Mac’s throat flared up again, but he resisted the urge to clear it. He knew that it would only further irritate his throat.  </p><p>“So about those beers,” Riley said with a smile, heading for the kitchen.</p><p>“Actually, just water-- if you have it,” Mac said, not trusting himself to be able to say much more without coughing.</p><p>Riley took a moment to really look at Mac. “Are your lungs bothering you, too?” She asked, grabbing two waters out of the fridge and handing one to Mac.</p><p>“No,” he said, taking a sip and electing to omit the shortness of breath he’d felt while going up the stairs. “Just my throat for now. Wouldn’t be surprised if they started to, though-- doc said that’d be normal.”</p><p>“Well that’s not exactly reassuring,” Riley said, a frown taking over her features.</p><p>“Sure it is,” Mac said, clearing his throat again. “I’m not at risk for pulmonary edema because my heart is pretty healthy, and any bronchospasms should be minimal. I’d say if anything-- it’s pretty lucky.” He took another swig of the water. </p><p>“Lucky would be <em>not</em> breathing in pure nitrogen,” Riley said, taking a drink from her own water. He laughed, letting it trail off into a cough. </p><p>“Guess you’re right.”</p><p>The two talked easily, conversation ranging from lighthearted, arbitrary nonsense, to heavier things. To prisons and yard fights and close calls. The two could confide in each other-- and both would take the secrets to their graves. They loved Jack and his mothering tendencies, but some things could only be shared between ex-inmates over lukewarm water and silent tears. Smeared makeup and lingering hugs would be the only remaining physical proof of their heart-to-heart.</p><p>As the evening wore on, Mac’s cough had gotten worse-- going from a few stray coughs and mostly throat clearing, to short bouts of hacking. A distinct wheeze had taken hold of his breathing as well. </p><p>Riley didn’t miss the way Mac tried to subtly rub at his chest after a particularly harsh fit.</p><p>“Mac,” Riley said. </p><p>“I’m fine,” he responded almost immediately.</p><p>“That’s not what I was going to say,” Riley said, chuckling as she eyed the clock. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to just crash here. It’s getting kind of late. L.A. crazies drive at night, you know?”</p><p>Mac huffed out a laugh. “I couldn’t put you out like that-- I’m sure you’re exhausted as it is.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Riley said, rubbing away some of the smeared eyeliner tracks that ran down her face, “but so are you. You’re not putting me out, I offered.” She said. “Plus,” she continued, meeting his eyes, “I don’t really want to be alone right now.” She wouldn’t say that she didn’t want him to be alone either, she knew that things were harder to deal with alone and that he probably wouldn’t reach out even if he did need help. </p><p>“Okay,” Mac agreed, nodding. “Yeah, I can stay here.” He cracked a smile. “Don’t tell Jack.” </p><p>“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied, a smile breaking out across her own face; the expression fell off her face when Mac was thrown into another coughing fit-- they sounded almost wet, as if he were congested. The force of it had him leaning forward and he struggled to catch his breath afterward. </p><p>“That’s really starting to not sound so good, Mac.” </p><p>He waved a hand, still trying to get a proper breath in. “It’s normal-- doc said so.” </p><p>“He said a <em>little</em> bit of irritation is normal,” Riley said. “It doesn’t sound like just a <em>little</em> irritation.” </p><p>“It’ll clear up,” Mac insisted, “it was pure nitrogen, Riles, displacing all the oxygen in my lungs. Once it’s all completely out I’ll be fine.” </p><p>“You’ll tell me if you’re feeling worse though?” Riley asked. “I’m not gonna have to call Jack here and have him get it out of you am I?” She added, the hint of a smile lying underneath the concern on her face.</p><p>Mac swallowed the rest of his water before responding. “I will.” Riley gave him a look-- she didn’t believe him, not for a second given his track record. </p><p>But there wasn’t much she could do about it. Mac was a grown man; if he didn’t think there was anything wrong and he didn’t want to go see the doctor again, Riley couldn’t very well make him. So the two made their way to the couch and got comfortable, setting up the television with a docuseries that both of them had already seen. It was good background noise, and it was left quiet enough to allow for any conversation that may have needed revisiting.</p><p>The two were wiped out from the day, however. Wiped out from the whole mission, in fact. And it wasn’t long before the graphics from the docuseries blurred together and the words barely made sense anymore.</p><p>“You want to shower real quick before I use you as a pillow?” Riley asked, already practically half asleep. “Because soon as I fall asleep I’m not moving.”</p><p>“Not unless you want me to,” Mac replied, also nearing sleep. He let out a single, low, wet cough that lasted several seconds-- he hadn’t even tried to hide how he’d rubbed at his pained chest.</p><p>“Nah, I don’t care,” Riley said, already situating herself against his side, “just giving you a warning before you’re not allowed to get up.”</p><p>“Couldn’t get up even if I wanted to,” Mac said, letting his eyes fall closed. Riley shifted a bit more before finally getting comfortable and dropping her head against his shoulder. He let his head rest on top of hers.</p><p>“Hm?” Riley closed her own eyes, too sleepy to be bothered by the raspy sound Mac made with every inhale.</p><p>“Too comfortable. And tired,” he said.</p><p>Riley hummed in agreement. “Then go to sleep,” she said.</p><p>“<em>You</em> go to sleep,” Mac replied teasingly.</p><p>“I will,” Riley shot back with no heat.</p><p>The two shushed each other childishly for another minute or so before finally falling quiet (aside from wheezing interrupted every so often by wracking coughs from Mac, Riley’s start of a snore, and the docuseries still playing on the television). </p><p>It was a nice change of pace, and probably the most peaceful moment either of the two had had since the mission started. They rested easy for a while, enjoying what little serenity they were allowed in their hectic, dangerous lives. </p><p>But it was never peaceful for long, not for them anyway.</p><p>Mac’s breath hitching startled Riley awake in the early hours of the morning. She’d slept soundly through the hacking-- partially having gotten used to the sound and partially as a testament to just how tired she was-- but the way he almost hiccuped for air had been enough to rouse her. </p><p>It was warm, pleasant even, and Riley almost let herself fall back asleep. But the warmth suddenly didn’t make sense to her-- Mac ran a little cold most of the time (it was one of the things that made Jack a bit better of a pillow than him) and the two had no blanket.</p><p>Riley finally opened her eyes. The television screen was stuck on Netflix's ‘are you still watching’ menu and she and Mac were still sitting on top of one another on the couch. Mac’s breathing hitched again and he let out a few long coughs.</p><p>Had he been breathing that loud before?</p><p>If Riley hadn’t known that Mac inhaled pure nitrogen earlier, she would have thought that he was snoring. </p><p>He definitely wasn’t snoring, she realized slowly. </p><p>Mac was coughing again-- each was slow and drawn out, almost as if he just didn’t have the energy or air to do it properly anymore. And they were thick and congested. </p><p>Shifting a bit to get a better look at him, Riley could see that even unconsciously a hand came up to his chest to rub at it weakly.</p><p>“Hey, Mac?” Riley whispered, shifting again. “Mac?” She lifted a hand to shake his shoulder gently. That seemed to do the trick, because soon a pair of blue, sleep-glazed eyes met Riley’s. </p><p>“Hey,” Mac said sleepily-- the single word was enough to send him into a surprised coughing fit that seemed to last a full minute. His voice was wrecked; it was raspy and thin from having hacked it raw, but deep and congested-sounding. “What--” he cleared his throat, wincing as he did. “What time is it?”</p><p>Riley was uncurling herself from his side slowly, gauging how awake he really was. “It’s early,” she said.</p><p>“Why…?” Mac went back to rubbing his chest. “Is something--” he was interrupted by another harsh, wet cough, “something wrong?” </p><p>“You tell me,” Riley said. “You sound awful.” She put the back of her hand to his forehead. He didn’t even try to bat her hand away, merely sat still and let her feel. “And you’re kind of warm. Does it hurt to breathe?” </p><p>Mac took a moment to register the question (Riley accounted that having been suddenly woken up at such an ungodly hour) before he nodded dumbly and coughed again. He couldn’t seem to catch his breath. Riley sat up a little more, waking the rest of the way up at his simple admission. </p><p>“Mac, can I take your temperature?” </p><p>Mac shook his head. “I’ll just sleep it off,” he said, devolving into another coughing fit. It was one horrid, drawn-out cough, and then a shaky gasp before another long cough. It was slow and agonizing to watch as Mac shook with the effort it took to gasp between each painful explosion in his chest. He had his arms wrapped around his torso, nearly gagging with every cough.</p><p>They rode it out together, Mac trying to catch his breath again and Riley rubbing gentle circles onto his back.</p><p>“I don’t think you should just sleep this off,” Riley said once it’d died down again, leaving Mac shaky and breathless. “Stay here,” she ordered. Riley went and got Mac a bottle of water, which he gratefully accepted. And she got the thermometer which-- while less than grateful for that-- let her take his temperature. “You’re pretty warm, Mac. I think I’m going to call Thornton and tell her to have med staff ready for us.”</p><p>“No, Riles, c’mon,” Mac said, taking a long drink from the bottle. “I just needed water-- I’m fine now. Really.”</p><p>“I don’t know, Mac,” Riley said, eyeing the number on the thermometer again. “It’d really make me feel better if you went and got checked out at least.”</p><p>“It’s really not--” Mac was cut off by another harsh set of wracking coughs. It lasted longer than the last one, making Mac’s eyes water and had him coughing up thick phlegm. </p><p>There was blood mixed in with the mucus.</p><p>Eyes wide and pleading, Riley handed Mac some paper towels. “Please?” He glanced again at the blood as he cleaned it, nodding slowly.</p><p>The second he’d bobbed his head, Riley was already sending a message to Thornton saying that they were coming in. The response was quick and reassured Riley that the medical staff would be ready the moment they arrived.</p><p>“Can you walk?” Riley asked as she grabbed her car keys off the counter and crouched in front of Mac, who hadn’t gotten up from the couch the whole time.</p><p>“Yeah,” he rasped, pushing himself up from the couch. Riley was right there, ready to steady him if he needed it. Other than being a little shaky, he seemed mostly okay to walk to the car, and Riley let him. She knew that giving him whatever independence she could now would make the trip to medical go a little smoother.</p><p>Settled in the car, Riley pointed Mac to the tissues in the glove compartment. When the next fit of coughing hit, he hacked up the phlegm and blood into them. Riley was pretty sure she’d broken several traffic laws getting to Phoenix, but couldn’t bring herself to care too much as Mac seemed to be having increasing difficulty breathing.</p><p>“Just hold on Mac, we’re almost there,” she reassured as they were pulling into the parking lot. He nodded, but couldn’t say a word. </p><p>Riley parked haphazardly, not caring that her car was crooked and not quite pulled up far enough as she pulled the key out and rushed around to Mac’s side. She helped him out of the car, and he didn’t let go of her as they walked slowly to the medical wing. </p><p>Riley didn't like the way Mac had suddenly become clumsier in his steps.</p><p>True to Thornton’s word, the medical staff was ready for them, coming out to greet them and help Mac the rest of the way to a bed. </p><p>Despite his gasping breaths and intermittent attempts to cough his lungs directly out of his chest, Mac was surprisingly cooperative, allowing the IV and nasal cannula without much fuss. The doctor and nurse there were quick, working swiftly on cleaning the blood from around Mac’s mouth and listening to his breathing with a stethoscope. The nurse tapped on his chest, too, and frowned at the sound.</p><p>Riley felt pretty useless as they got Mac back up, taking his brown leather jacket and shirt from him to get a chest x-ray. She took a seat in one of the bedside chairs, letting the medical staff move in a blur. She was only broken out of her haze when she heard a familiar voice outside the room in the end half of a conversation.</p><p>“...he in here?” It was Jack. The moment Jack stepped in the room he took stock of what all was happening. Mac was being eased back onto the medical bed, shirtless, shaking, and with blood staining the edges of his mouth. Riley, she was sitting close by, eyeliner still in streaks down her face and hair tousled. “What happened?” </p><p>“Jack!” Riley was on her feet in an instant, b-lining for the man and throwing her arms around him. </p><p>“Oh, honey,” Jack said, wrapping her up in a comforting hug. “How are you doin’, must’ve been scary for the two of you, huh?”</p><p>“Jack,” she hiccuped, feeling close to tears, “I don’t know what happened-- he was fine and then we fell asleep and when I woke up he sounded weird.” She shook her head and pressed her face into Jack’s shoulder. “He wasn’t breathing right-- I don’t know-- he was feverish and out of it and I thought he was just still tired. But he started coughing up blood…” she trailed off, trying hard to keep herself composed. </p><p>“He’s going to be all right now, isn’t that right, Mac?” Jack said, turning his head to the blond. Mac nodded, letting out a weak rasp of a ‘yeah.’ “You did so good, darling. You got him here safe and sound, it’ll be okay,” Jack soothed. </p><p>Jack had taken to running his hand through Riley’s hair as he stood there holding her, trying to comfort the clearly rattled girl.</p><p>They stood like that a long time-- long enough that the doctors had gotten a confident read on Mac’s x-rays. </p><p>Pneumonia, caused by the nitrogen inhalation. It hadn’t been caught earlier because none of the symptoms had developed enough to be detectable. </p><p>He would be okay, the doctor assured. The blood-tinged phlegm, while concerning, was fairly normal in pneumonia cases, and they’d caught it early enough for it to be anything life-threatening. </p><p>With that news, Riley was able to calm down a little more, letting go of Jack and allowing him to guide her into one of the bedside chairs. Jack situated himself in the other bedside chair and talked. To ease the mood and fill the silence.</p><p>“Lucky you two decided not to listen to me and get to your beds straight away,” he said. “I won’t even chew you out for it if Mac promises to get better real fast.”</p><p>“Didn’t plan on not listening,” Mac said, taking a moment to catch his breath, “just happened.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Riley added, “I wanted to show him the apartment. We got to talking I guess, and it got late so fast.” Frustratingly enough, Riley could feel her eyes grow watery again. “Sorry, Jack.”</p><p>“Oh,” Jack drawled, taking a hand and lowering Riley’s head onto her shoulder comfortingly, “oh, honey, you’ve got nothing to apologize for.” She let her head stay rested there on his shoulder. “I’m just glad you kids are all right. Even if you did decide to have a ‘no Jack’ party behind my back,” he said, a tease to his voice.</p><p>“Not ‘no Jack,’” Mac said, “just no senior citizens.” Riley couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her.</p><p>“Ouch, Mac! Really hurts, man,” Jack joked dramatically. “I’ll have you know all these greys are <em>your</em> doing.”</p><p>“I don’t control your dying melanocytes,” Mac returned. It sent him into a coughing fit; a nurse was at his side quickly with some water.</p><p>“Maybe hold off on talking so much just yet, hoss, ‘kay? Don’t need you coughing your lungs up. I think you scared your sister here enough for one day.”</p><p>“Not possible,” Mac replied instinctively about the lung comment. “Trachea. Too small.”</p><p>“Spare us the lecture and just work on getting better already,” Jack said.</p><p>Riley smiled at the familiarity of it all. Mac really would be okay. It may take a little time, but everything would turn out all right.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ee crusty ending, but I've been sitting on it for a few days and figured it was about time to power through it and get it over with haha sorry.</p><p>In other news, seeing as how october has ended, this'll be my last whumptober prompt filled. Doesn't mean it'll be my last macgyver fic thooo!! I don't have a whole lot in the idea factory going on just yet, so feel free to drop links to fun prompt lists, comment some stuff you'd wanna see, or pop by @you-go-kaboom-i-go-kaboom on tumblr d0t com to hit me up with some ideas.<br/>I'm pretty open to most suggestions given I have the time to write em out. (perhaps maybe I should consider upgradin from one-shots to a full-length sometime haha??)<br/>idk just yet, feel free to shoot me some feedback so I know where to get the juices flowing first :0</p></blockquote></div></div>
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